Sandal



April 16, 1957 MD. GIBSON I SANDAL Filed April 22, 1954 INVENTOR. MARSHALL D. GIBSON United States Patent F SANDAL Marshall D. Gibson, Webster Groves, Mo., assignor of one-half to Walter Robert Mantell, Maplewood, Mo.

Application April 22, 1954, Serial No. 424,904

2 Claims. (Cl. 3611.5)

This invention pertains to shoes, and is particularly applicable to sandals.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple structure for such a sandal with means for supporting the arch of the foot and for supporting the foot as a whole at the arch.

Another object is to provide a simple structure which will secure the sandal to the foot and which will have a wide adjustment of size.

This invention is a more extended application of the principles embodied in my Patent No. 1,595,087, which employs a bandage for a foot applied in the form of a figure 8, in combination with a pad or plate for supporting the arch of the foot.

In the present invention, the arch support as well as the tapes or straps forming the bandage are an integral part of a boot, shoe or sandal.

By these means, the shoe or sandal is provided with a bandage and arch support for .correcting and preventing foot trouble and reducing of fatigue.

In addition, the construction is such that the parts readily adjust themselves to different sized feet. Thus, the fitting is accomplished by adjustments by the user without the necessity for exact sizes of parts and, in manufacture, special patterns and dies for a large variety of sizes are unnecessary.

In accordance with this invention, generally stated, a sole structure is provided which may include an insole. This may be provided with any usual type of upper for the toe portion of the foot. A flexible flap secured to the middle portion of the sole structure provides an arch support. A heel counter is secured to the rear of the sole structure. A single strap has one end secured to said arch-supporting flap. This strap is then looped so as to pass over the instep of the wearers foot, around under the arch of the foot and through a slot in the flap; then over the instep and around the ankle to the rear where it passes through a loop on the counter; then back around the ankle and over the instep down under the arch, passing through a second slot in said flap, then back over the instep, and is adjustably secured, as by a buckle, to the heel counter at the forward portion thereof adjacent the breast of the heel.

A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of a sandal embodying this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the heel portion thereof.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a sole structure of any suitable type having a heel 2, and if desired, an insole 3. Any suitable upper for the toe portion may be provided. In the embodiment illustrated, this is formed by a pair of crossed straps 4 and 5.

A flexible flap 6, which may be of leather, fabric or other suitable material, is connected to the sole structure at 7, as by stitching or otherwise. This connection is preferably made at approximately the middle of the sole and under the arch of the foot, the free end thereof extending toward the inside of the foot. forated by strap slots 8 and 9. An upper for the rear portion is provided by a single strap, indicated generally at 10.

The first end of the strap 10 is secured at 11 to the flap 6 by stitching or otherwise. It is then formed into a first loop 12 formed to pass over the wearers instep, then down around the outside of the foot under the arch and through the slot 8. A second loop 13 is then formed, passing up over the instep and around behind a counter 14 secured to the heel portion of the sole structure. This counter is provided with a loop 15 through which the strap is passed, as shown in Figs. .1 and 2. The strap then passes around the ankle to form a third loop 16 passing over the instep, around the outside of the foot, under the arch thereof and through the slot 9. The end is then looped over the instep for the fourth time, as at 17, and its end is finally secured to the forward portion of the counter 14 at the outside of the foot as by a buckle 18.

It will be noted that the strap is looped repeatedly about the middle of the foot at the instep so as to have the effect of taping the foot at this portion. At the same time, it binds the archsupport 6 to the foot. The portion which passes around the ankle to the rear and is secured on the loop 15 keeps the sandal securely in position with the heel of the foot properly seated therein. Again this connection to the counter and the connection of the arch support at 7 firmly secure the sandal tov the foot.

A great advantage of this arrangement is that the manufacturer of these sandals may cover only a limited number of sizes since the adjustability of the strap 10 is effective to fit the sandal to a range of sizes of feet. Furthermore, since the strap envelops the foot a number of times and is therefore of considerable length, a normal spacing of holes in the buckle 18 will provide a fine adjustment of the various loops to the foot, and since these are separate loops, they can adjust themselves automatically to the shape of the foot.

The loops bind the arch support 6 snugly to the foot with any desired pressure and help support this part of the foot when the weight of the body is put upon it.

While the invention is particularly applicable to sandals, it may with minor variations, within the skill of the art, and within the scope of the appended claims, be applied to high top boots, or closed shoes.

Various changes may be made in the details of con struction, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention. Parts of the invention may be used without the Whole and im: provements may be added while retaining some or all of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. A sandal comprising, a sole structure, a counter secured to said structure and provided with a strap-receiving loop at the rear upper portion thereof, a single flex ible arch-supporting flap secured at one edge thereof only to the middle portion transversely of the sole structure below the foot arch, said flap being provided with strapreceiving slots above said sole, a strap secured at one end thereof to the forward portion of said flap and looped to pass over the instep of the wearers foot, then under the foot arch independently of said sole structure and through a forward one of said strap-receiving slots, then again over the instep and then around the rear of the ankle passing through said loop on the counter, then forward and again over the instep and under the arch, passing through a rear one of said strap-receiving slots, then again over the in step, being fastened at its final end to the side portion of the counter at the outside of the foot.

2. A sandal comprising, a sole structure, a counter secured to said structure and provided with a strap-receiving Patented Apr. 16, 1957,

This flap is perloop, a single flexible arch-supporting flap secured at one References Cited in the file of this patent edge thereof only to the middle portion transversely of UNITED STATES PATENTS said sole structure, said flap being provided with strapreceiving slots: above said sole structure, a first strap se- 1572213 l 1926 cured at one-end thereof to said flap above. said sole struc- 5 1595087 Glbson 1926 ture and free of other connections with the sole structure 1677226 Banlfs July 1928 or flap between its ends except for engagement with said 2126094 Damels 1938 strap-receiving slots and said strap-receiving loop and 2389148 Grebow 1945 formed into a plurality of convolutions positioned to en- 2698490 Golflman 1955 circle the ankle of the wearer at least once and the instep 10 2734285 Levm 1956 portion of the foot of. the wearer independently of said FOREIGN PATENTS- sole at least twice to bind said flap to the foot, the convo- 245 355 Switzerland July 16 1947 lutions of said. strap encircling the ankle and the instep 593:479 Germany 1934 of the wearer 1n alternation, a second strap secured to 680,875 Germany Sept. 9, 1939 said counter on the outer side of said sandal, and means 15 for adjustably securing the other end. of said first strap to said second strap. 

